


The Tilt Shift

by thatalmondgirl



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Divergent, F/M, Pining, Romance, rivetra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26284321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatalmondgirl/pseuds/thatalmondgirl
Summary: In the depths of the underground, a man sits and waits. He is impossible to find, so she must be found by him. After all, she has a mission to do, and only he can complete it.
Relationships: Levi/Petra Ral
Comments: 7
Kudos: 23





	The Tilt Shift

Levi had three rules. Number one: he didn’t exist. They didn’t see him, they didn’t hear him, and he didn’t kill for them. He was nothing more than a remorseless nightmare. It was going to stay that way. 

Number two: payment was prompt and correct. It was ready when they met with him, and ready when he finished. They piled the cash into his pockets, enough to keep him living like a king. Enough to get him out of hell. Levi didn’t care about that. The other half of his payment was even more valuable. The hushed whispers under the unnatural stillness of the underground, the overflowing goldmine it was, were stashed away in his mind, safe from prying ears and wandering eyes. No one could get to it. 

Number three: they kept their mouths shut. This was more than keeping Levi’s shadowy presence under wraps. This was the real deal. They didn’t blab. They didn’t spread it around. They kept his thirst for information a complete secret. It could travel to the ends of the underground and back in less than an hour if their lips were loose. And in that hour, he’d slice their tongues out and let them choke on their own blood. 

Simple. All very simple. If they broke one, he’d kill them. Or break their legs. It depended on the day he was having. 

The azure sky was beautifully clear over the park. He sat back on the bench, gazing upwards. Something about Sina had everything looking perfectly polished, like a child’s dollhouse. Even the sky reflected that. Tch. Maybe these rich people’s taxes paid for the colour of the sky as well. 

Levi shook his head. He wasn’t here to look at the damn sky, or coo at the roses by the wall, or feed the stupid, bug-eyed pigeons. He had a job to do. Tipping his cap lower, he watched the fat man from the corner of his eye. 

Lord Erpingham preened in the clear water of the fountain. He smoothed his bald head back before he threw another handful of seed to the stupid, bug-eyed pigeons gathering around his feet. The girl on his arm, a young thing that couldn’t be older than twenty, threw back her head and laughed so loudly that even Levi heard. She perched on the edge of the fountain, the expensive fabric of her skirt sliding up her calf in one smooth motion. The old man’s eyes were wide. He smirked. Every time they got close enough to share each other’s breath, Levi wondered if that infamous hooked nose the Erpingham’s were known for poked her in the eye.

Ugh. Levi wanted to puke into that crystalline water. But he forced himself to watch the pair slink around, arms wound around each other under their coats like they were hidden from view. He watched them trail around the park for another ten minutes, smelling the roses by the wall. Once, the girl pointed upwards at the sky, murmuring something, causing the man to chortle. Yes, a single cloud had to be hilarious. Shit, if Levi had to watch this any longer, he’d send the bullet through his own head instead. 

Eventually they wandered out the fancy iron gates, separating the second they stepped out onto the swept, dustless pavement and disappearing around a corner. Levi waited three minutes before following. He slouched lower into his coat as the MPS swarmed the streets, their twitchy thumbs dangerously close to the guns they probably didn’t know how to use. All on edge. All waiting. 

As he snuck around a corner, he felt eyes on his back. He turned, catching the flinty gaze of an MP; new recruit by the looks of it. The MP stared; Levi stared back. He wondered if the kid recognised him. 

Eh. He stalked off in Erpingham’s direction, cutting through the back alleys and side streets, keeping his distance. Not like he wanted to get any closer. Every fallen ‘stray’ hand made bile erupt in his throat. 

The roundabout back route took the pair - and Levi- right back to a narrow alleyway squashed between two grand buildings. He recognised one of them, an infamous whorehouse bursting to the brim with well-groomed women and men, trained to perch on the end of a gentry’s arm like a tamed bird. Erpringham landed a slobbery kiss on her pouty red lips and she responded enthusiastically, if their disgusting slurping sounds were anything to go by. It seemed like an eternity before they finally separated. The lord pressed a handful of tidy notes into her hand, winking at her as he adjusted his lapels. It was almost comical how quick she sped out of there after she got ahold of the money. If Levi had a normal sense of humour and if he wasn’t currently committing about a dozen different criminal offences, he might've laughed. 

Erpingham was far more cautious as he tiptoed out of the vicinity. Worried his other noblemen buddies would see him, most likely. Whatever. It wasn’t a problem. Levi followed him back to the giant manor, secluded from all the other giant manors. He noted the route he took, every shop he stopped at, every person he interacted with. When Erpingham arrived, Levi leaned against a lamppost on the other side of the street, pretending to be deeply engrossed with a shoe-cleaning store’s trading times. Erpingham wiped his puffy, red forehead as an overdressed butler opened the front door for him and slung the lord’s coat over his arms. Within the house, Levi spotted a plump, greying lady regard Erpingham stiffly. His wife, no doubt. Seemed she despised him as much as Levi’s clients did. 

Well, good. Probably make the funeral easier for her. 

The heavy ornate doors closed behind them. Casually, Levi shuffled around the perimeter of the area like some old geezer on their afternoon walk. If he whistled, it might’ve been more convincing. Nah, screw that. 

The iron fence was tall and sharp and could skewer him by his balls, but the old oak tree right beside it hung low over the other side. The bedroom window was high, all the way up on the fifth ( _fifth_ \- fuck rich people) floor, but ivy stretched all the way to the sloping roof. His wife might still share the same bed as him. Levi doubted she wanted to, but it was traditional for the gentry. Tradition held more importance to them than faithfulness, it seemed. 

He’d have to get her out of the room then. Inconvenient, but not the worst thing in the world. 

Satisfied, he strolled one last time around the edges of the property, taking in everything before slinking back into the shadows of an alleyway. He made his way back to the main streets, pausing before stepping out. Police activity had increased tenfold, as well as the crowds of civilians. 

A beefy man, dressed in an expensive coat, got right up into an MP’s face.“Oi! You! You’ll be taking care of us now that that savage titan boy is running around?” 

“Of course we will, sir.” 

“Good. I expect better care of my stocks and assets down in Trost where the scum is. You’ll do that, right boy?” He shoved a wad of notes into the MP’s coat pocket. 

The MP looked at it, looked at the man. He smirked, patting his pocket. “Of course I will, sir.” 

“ _We_ will!” The MP beside him piped up, glaring at his partner and flashing the merchant a wide grin with too much teeth. Another fat wad of money was deposited into his own pocket. 

Shitty merchants. Shittier MPS. Levi eyed the endless, growing crowd. Everyone was pressed close together, gossiping frantically about the titan boy- Eric or Eden or something. A newspaper boy was weighed down by his heavy sack of coins as they swiped the papers from his hands. Ink stained their fancy white kid gloves. New gossip. Perfect for rich assholes who had nothing better to do and not at the slightest chance of being affected so far into the walls.

The crowds were right up against each other. The women's big skirts were squashed flat from being so close. No chance for him to slip through easily. They clustered close to the police, clamouring for more information. The MPS stood shoulder to shoulder, guarding the palace and the surrounding area, as the titan boy in Trost would come barrelling through the Walls any moment, ready to stamp the life out of the king. No one could get through, not even the smallest, skinniest person. So. That was saying something. 

The most accessible, best-hidden entrance to the underground was right behind the shoulder of an especially smug bastard. Levi would’ve enjoyed beating that shit eating smirk off his face, but he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. Kicking an MP in front of worried civilians was the perfect way to do just that. He observed a little longer. A fallen newspaper blew through the wind. Grabbing it, he fell back into the alleyway and exited from the other side. The smaller side street was less busy, with only a few MPS and little groups of civilians milling around. Easier to move, bigger chance of being seen. He didn’t care much if they saw his face, but anyone slipping into the underground always attracted attention from police. Up here, they weren't looking for him. He was a perfect, law abiding citizen now. 

That they knew of, at least. It was gonna stay that way. 

He held the paper up to his face like he was deeply engrossed in the story. He casually walked to a rundown doorway crammed between two other buildings. He dithered a bit, leaning against the wall and studying the newspaper, keeping the MPS in his peripheral. They were more relaxed here, their guns slung across their backs as they eyed up a group of giggling teenage girls. By the looks of it, they'd climbed the ranks enough to relax in the side streets. What these lazy asshats did to achieve that, he’d never know. One of the girls smirked to her friends, sashayed up to the tallest officer. Levi watched as it became a pathetic pissing contest as each of the MPs fell over each other for her attention. 

Perfect. The newspaper fluttered to the ground as he pulled open the door. 

“Excuse me, sir.”

Levi turned, keeping his face completely expressionless. 

“You dropped this.” A pretty, redheaded girl held out his newspaper. She smiled. 

“Thanks.” Levi grunted. Then he walked away without taking it and disappeared into the underground. 

The steps to his apartment groaned as he walked up them. They were old, and there was a crack as well, big and ugly and right in the middle. What was that dumb saying? Step on a crack, break your mother's back? Only about thirty years late. He stood right on it as he got out his rusty key and stepped inside, slamming the door behind him. Dust rained down from the ceiling. 

No matter how hard he scrubbed, it would still look like crap. He’d spent a full three days cleaning the apartment when he’d gotten it, making sure that no marks were visible on the walls and no mould grew in the corners. He’d have liked to air the dingy, damp smell out, but the thought was laughable. There wasn’t even any fresh air to breathe down here. 

He hung his coat, unstrapping the weapons from his body and pouring water to wash. Above everything else, he needed to be clean. Cleanliness above all. It was late afternoon now. Soon it would darken to evening, then to night, and he would work. Might as well be fresh for it. 

After washing himself, he stood in the middle of the room. Still a few hours to go. All his weapons were ready. He hadn’t eaten for a while, but he was rarely hungry. He could read something. Except books hardly existed in the underground when barely anyone knew how to read them. That newspaper was long gone. There was nothing to do. 

So he sat and waited. 

The underground bustled with life. It might’ve been nearing evening on the surface, but down here, time wasn’t an issue when it was always dark. He looked out the window, watching a couple of kids play hopscotch. They’d drawn it with a lump of charcoal they’d found. Their fingernails were black with it, and with soot and grime and who knew what else. Everything was fucking dirty down here. 

Right above them, the streets were scrubbed so clean he could see his reflection on every surface. He looked at the kids grimy, baggy clothes, hanging off their skinny shoulders and bunching around their wrists. Their bones were painfully gaunt. The rich asshats uptop probably fed their dogs steak every night while children wasted away under their feet. 

He drank his tea, letting the scalding liquid centre him. 

Time didn't exist down here. He didn’t know how long he sat there for, staring out the window like a damn creep. The kids ran away. Women hung up their washing on droopy clotheslines. Another batch of brats tossed a bit of rubble back and forth like it was a ball. They laughed when one of them was struck in the head. 

A knock sounded at the door. Levi didn’t move, sipping the last of his tea. The door creaked open. Light, tentative footsteps crept into the room as something clattered onto the table. 

“Uh, sir?” Elias said. 

“I told you, don’t call me that.” Levi snapped. 

“Sorry. Sorry.” He busied himself with whatever he’d dropped. Levi wondered if his hands were trembling. 

He turned. Elias was sharpening one of Levi’s knives, the one that blunted on the last job. The young boy had his back to him, his scruffy blond hair falling forward into his face. Levi watched him work. 

“You’re not doing it right,” he said finally. Elias looked at him as he approached the table. The kid was already his height, maybe taller. Levi had long accepted that he would always be the shortest in the room, but it was a blow to even him that this thirteen year old boy was already inching higher. Might be bad for the kid though. Apparently kids who shot up earlier tended to stay that height forever. 

Levi grabbed the knife and held it against the whetstone. “You need to keep the edge here. You angled it wrong.” 

Elias nodded. He studied it with rapt fascination, like a school kid studying his books. Well. Same concept. Just very, very different things. 

He handed it back to him. Elias kept sharpening it (the right way this time) as Levi dug around in the bag he’d brought. As always, Levi’s other set of weapons were polished and cleaned. There was a faint mark near the handle of one of them. Without a word, he poured water and soap, scrubbing it hard. Elias looked over. He swallowed. 

“Was it not clean enough?” 

“It’s fine.” 

“I can-” 

“I said it’s fine.” Probably snappier then he’d have liked, but it got the kid to shut up. He shuffled back to his task and they worked in silence. 

It may not have looked it, but Levi liked Elias. More than he would say. More than he would let on. Attachment wasn’t good. It’d make both of them soft. It’d kill the boy. 

But still. He appreciated the company. 

Levi found Elias a few months ago. He was lying in a puddle, almost unconscious. Levi had stood over him, watching the laboured rise and fall of his chest. He was scruffy. He was disgusting. 

Levi took him home. 

“I need you to do a job for me,” he told him when he came to. Levi hadn’t missed the nervous gleam in his eyes as he said that. 

Elias was a pretty boy. Fuck, Levi felt disgusted with himself for even thinking such a thing. But it was true. He had light, floppy hair and big doe eyes that begged the world to take care of him. 

Or advantage. He had that delicate look of a chick emerging from the nest for the first time. He was spindly- all the kids were, from lack of nutrition and sunlight- but he was skinnier than most. He was soft, far too soft for a life underground. Levi wasn’t even sure how he lasted that long. Kid was skin and bone. He was starving. He had no money. He was the type to hold the door open for old ladies toddling along on canes.

When Levi looked at him, he saw another boy. Another lost little boy who would’ve died and lived by having the idealistic crap beat out of him until he was pissing blood. 

That boy was gone. He grew. He lived. And Levi was determined that Elias was going to do the same.

Levi tasked him with cleaning his weapons after he finished a job. He paid him well, probably more than his subpar cleaning was worth, but Levi had enough to keep himself fed, clean and clothed. Any more and he’d get complacent. He couldn’t have that. 

More than Elias’s job, Levi showed him how to survive. He taught him some dirty street moves that could mean the difference between life and death, tricks and turns that would give him the upper hand. Elias left each time bruised black and blue, but muscle developed in his skinny arms and legs. Levi felt more resistance each time he threw the kid to the ground. He felt prouder every time Elias’s punch hit harder. He started believing that Elias could walk away from a fistfight unharmed. He could live just a little bit longer. 

At the end of the day, that was all that mattered. 

“Come on.” Levi said. Elias dropped the knives, wiping his hands on his pants. He dutifully moved the table out of the way. As his back was turned, Levi crept up behind him and punched the back of his head. 

Months of training kept the boy from getting a concussion. Barely. He lunged out of the way, stumbling over the table. He jumped to his feet just in time to dodge Levi’s kick. 

“You’re just blocking. Hit me.” Levi grunted. Elias wavered for a second, arms held up to his face for protection before he threw his first hit. It bounced uselessly off Levi’s shoulder, but it was a start. He kept him on the offensive, taking the brunt of his kicks and punches. Elias puffed like he was ready to faint, but he kept going. Good. 

Levi finally lunged at him, throwing him to the ground over his shoulder. Elias lay there, making no effort to get up. He looked ready to vomit. 

“Well. Your reflexes are getting better. You lasted longer.” Levi said. “But your form was shit. You weren’t ready.” 

“I didn’t see the first punch. It took me by surprise. It wasn’t-”

“Fair? You think there’s rules when someone’s trying to kill you?” he scoffed. Maybe he was a tad harsh with him, but how else was he meant to learn? “There isn’t a manual. Fight dirty and you’ll live. Simple.” 

He let him rest for another thirty seconds before kicking him lightly with the toe of his boot. “Get up. Again.” 

They fought for another hour or so. Elias struggled his way through it all, his face green, but Levi noticed his improvement as it went on. He was no match for Levi, but for anyone else...Elias could easily come out on top. 

“Enough.” Levi said finally. Elias swayed where he stood. He rushed for water, while Levi had barely broken a sweat. 

“That was tough,” Elias croaked. Water dripped from his chin as he gulped it down. Tch. Disgusting. “I feel like a cadet in the military.” 

Ironic. How funny. Levi didn’t laugh. He had wondered briefly back then if the trivial goings-on above had somehow leaked downstairs. But no one had looked at him any longer than usual. Probably because everyone down here knew he could rip them apart. They kept to themselves. Smart. Surface civilians who grew up in luxury had a surprising amount of nerve. 

Levi looked up. It should be nearing midnight now. He needed to prepare. 

Speaking of upstairs…

“I want you to come with me for this one.” Levi didn’t look at the kid as he sheathed his knives. Elias choked.

“What?” 

“There’s extra police up there tonight,” he explained. “Not like they’ll arrest us for being out late, but they’ll notice. I need you to get them away from the area.” 

“But I can’t-”

“You can.” Levi looked him squarely in the face. “Just take out a few MPS. It’ll be rookies in that area because all the experienced assholes will be protecting the castle. Most of them probably paid their way to the top. They’ll drop like flies.” 

Elias dithered. Thing is, Levi was genuine. No way would he bring him along if he knew that Elias would be dead weight. Waste of time. He probably could've handled it all himself, but he wanted to test the kid. He wanted to see if he really had the balls for this life. 

“I’ll go.” Elias said after a while, the determination bright on face. His fist was clenched. Levi looked at his other hand; it trembled slightly. 

He didn’t comment. He just nodded. 

Somehow, even in the pitch black of the night, the streets still seemed to fucking sparkle. Amazing what taxes could do. 

Elias marvelled at the magnificent scope of the buildings, the wonderfully detailed, dainty bits of architecture that decorated every single wall. To Levi, it made everything look busy and cluttered. He’d seen it all before and personally, he preferred the simplicity of the square block houses underground. He wouldn’t trade up the capitals cleanliness, though. It was a godsend. 

It must’ve been like walking into a palace for Elias, even as they entered the scruffier side streets. He was born and bred into darkness and filth. Give him fresh air and he’d tasted heaven. 

Levi wasn’t sure how many times he’d been upstairs. He wanted to ask, but the answer wouldn’t have any relevance to anything. No use, so he didn’t. 

The streets to Erpingham’s neighbourhood were crawling with MPS, just like he predicted. They pressed against the wall, peeking around the corner. 

“Why's there so many?” Elias breathed, finally broken out of his trance. 

“Something about that titan boy. Got everyone on edge. They’re all scrambling to secure their own wealth.” Levi growled. Six guards. They were blocking the main road into the neighbourhood. Home of the rich required maximum security. Even if he ran across the rooftops, the moon would give him away. It just had to be a clear night. 

He looked Elias up and down. The entire city was under curfew, so surely... 

“You any good at acting?” 

“Huh? Why?” 

Levi shoved him onto the street. Elias stumbled right into a pool of light under a lamppost. The MPs whipped around at the sound, guns at the ready, prepared for some vicious, hulking mutant titan-boy. Instead, they saw a scrawny little kid. They lowered their guns, exchanging confused looks. 

“Hey, kid! What are you doing out?” One of them yelled. 

Elias was frozen. Then he yelped and took off. Levi couldn’t even tell whether that was real or fake. Kid might’ve been small, but he was fast; Levi felt a gush of wind swipe at his face as Elias zoomed by. 

“Hey! Get back here!” Three of the MPs raced after him immediately. Two others hesitated, before following like sheep. Tch. Obviously rookies. Clearly couldn’t follow orders and just did whatever they wanted. _Definitely_ rich brats who bribed their way to the top. 

The last one, probably only one who paid attention in training, dithered uselessly. He was also the smallest. The empty, wide streets made him even smaller. 

Easily bypassing him, Levi slipped through an alley, emerging from the other side. He stuck to the shadows of the buildings, darting towards Erpingham’s bigass manor. The MP didn’t even turn in his direction. 

Levi could pick out the manor even in the dark; that was how conspicuous it was. He paused for a second, checking his coat and pockets, making sure everything was in the right place. Then, quick as lightning, he leapt for the old oak tree. Dropping down onto the other side of the fence, he ran across the lawn and grabbed onto the ivy. His muscles burned as he pulled himself up with the sheer power in his arms. Any foothold was precarious here. 

One, two, three, four. He neared the fifth. Sweat beaded down his forehead. If he’d said it once, he’s said it a thousand times; fuck rich people. 

The first window led into an empty guest room. Silently, he worked his way around the edge of the house, peering into each window. There- through the window was a grand master bedroom. Ugly paisley drapes framed each side, matching the pattern on the bed. Splayed on the bed was a sleeping woman, the same woman Levi had seen earlier that day. Her grey hair was spread out on the pillow, the bed sheets pushed down to reveal her frumpy, frilled nightgown. Erpingham’s stern, spinster wife. 

The sheets beside her were rumpled, but empty. The woman snorted in her sleep, turning over and blearily patting the space next to her. Her eyes cracked open for a second, confused, before she shrugged and fell back asleep. 

Something moved in the corner of his eye. Levi flattened himself against the wall immediately. Below him in the gardens was a fat figure, tiptoeing through the carnations. 

Levi tried not to groan. What an inconvenience. 

He dropped back to the ground, tailing Erpingham through the garden and out the gate. Not like it was hard. You didn’t need to be an experienced criminal to follow someone whose every step was an earthquake. 

Erpingham crept through the streets. For such a heavy-footed man, he did well to avoid the MPS. Where was he going, especially when there was increased police presence? Did Levi really care? That wasn’t part of his commission. 

It seemed like an age before Erpingham finally stopped. Figures. It was the whorehouse from earlier. Levi looked, but no one came out to greet him. The old man slipped into the alley beside it, waiting. Waiting for what? 

A light turned on inside the building. In one of the windows, a woman’s lithe figure reached for a hat and a coat, bending down to slip on some shoes. Erpingham perked, grinning stupidly. He peered into the reflection of his wristwatch, smoothing down his hair.

Poor, sad bastard. If Levi had been a different man, maybe he would’ve felt a twinge of guilt. 

He didn’t even try to disguise himself as he casually strolled down the alleyway, reaching into his coat. Erpingham glanced up, surprised. 

Levi walked by him and stabbed him in the chest. 

The old man didn’t even have time to scream. He slipped to the floor, choking on his own blood. When he looked up, his mouth was stuck in an O of surprise. There was no terror in his eyes- just surprise. He clutched at his chest, wheezing, coughing. Dying. 

Poor, sad bastard. 

Levi stared into his eyes as he died. Consider it courtesy. He murdered him, after all. When he was gone, Levi took a ring from his finger; a plain, silver band with the Erpingham crest engraved into the inside. 

At the entrance of the alley, he heard voices. The flat cadence of military boots on the ground was achingly familiar. 

“Swear I saw something down here. A person. I swear!” 

“Yeah, right. Everyone’s in bed. Idiot. Let’s go.” 

“Come on. Let me check first.” 

_Shit_. Levi glared as the beam of flashlights illuminated the entrance. If they saw the body already, escaping would be a bitch. Plus, who knew where the fuck Elias was at? 

An inconvenience upon a night of inconveniences. He just wanted to sleep.

Already resigning to this bitch of an evening, he scaled the wall of the building and perched in a windowsill high above the ground. They wouldn’t see him unless they looked carefully. 

“H-Hey! Little bastard, where the hell-” 

A body hit the ground, followed by punches and kicks hitting another. Then a second hit the ground, groaning. He looked down to see a tiny boy creep into the alley, unscathed. 

“Uh. Levi?” he whispered hesitantly. 

Elias yelped when he jumped down to meet him. Levi pushed past him, staring at the two MPs lying immobile on the ground. If the hard blows didn’t kill them, the humiliation definitely would. If they even remembered anything. 

Elias, tiny little Elias, had done this on his own. A twisted sense of pride flared in his chest. And the kid had a scared rabbit look in his eye as he awaited judgement. 

“Good job.” Levi said. Those two words lit a fire under Elias. He almost bounced with reinvigorated energy. “We’re done. Let’s go.” 

They looked at the body on the ground, lying in a pool of blood. Despite his timidness, Elias didn’t flinch. The underground desensitised everybody. 

The place these idiots had picked was grimy. He waited behind a building, his nose pricking at the foul stench of trash. A giant rat picked through one particularly giant patch. Levi could see its slimy tail flicking back and forth as it delved into the gunk. 

Fuck. He considered himself a patient person, but it was exclusive. Putting Elias through his punches even when he kept messing up? Yeah, he could do that for hours. Standing here uselessly, kicking the dirt for ten minutes for lazy shitheads who couldn’t be fucked to do their own dirty work? He was getting pissed. 

Finally, they showed up. Levi glowered at them as they sauntered down the alleyway as if they were going on an evening stroll. There were three of them in total; Levi only recalled talking with two when they approached him for work. He eyed the third one, taking him in. Tall. Stocky. Looked pretty dumb. The standard bodyguard. 

He felt suspicion prick in his blood. He could take this idiot, no problem. But the fact that they’d brought him along in the first place got him thinking.

He readied the knife in his sleeve. 

“Ah! Good to see you.” Phil greeted him. He was the leader of their little posse, a nervous, twitchy man with big plans behind greasy spectacles. Levi forgot the name of the other, quieter man. Whatever. It didn’t matter. He was done. 

“Here.” Levi flicked the ring he’d taken from Erpingham’s body. Phil fumbled a bit before he caught it. He studied it intensely under the dim light. Levi could see his beady eyes gleam. Whatever they wanted with Erpingham’s death wasn’t any of Levi’s business. Frankly, he didn’t care. He got his cut. They could do what they wanted with it. 

“You’ll hear about it in the papers soon enough,” he added. 

Phil nodded. He reached into his flapping overcoat and pulled out a stained drawstring bag. Levi grimaced as he caught it, weighing it in his hand. Hefty. Gold glittered up at him as he peered inside. Satisfied, he pocketed it. 

“And?” Levi said. 

“And what?” 

His voice was cold as ice. “Where’s the rest of it?” 

“The rest…” Phil repeated. That bulbous nose of his seemed to twitch. Like a rat. “Oh, of course. The rest.” He gestured to his partner. The other man reached into his pocket, his movements slow and deliberate. Levi tensed. 

But he only produced a slip of folded paper. Levi snatched it, careful not to brush against his grimy fingers. He straightened it out, read it. 

He read it again. 

“The fuck is this?” Levi crushed it under his foot. Phil froze. The beefy bodyguard stepped in front of them. Levi knocked him aside easily. Distantly, he heard the crack of his skull against the guttering of the building. “You said new. This isn’t new. I know this already.” 

“W-well we didn’t know that-” 

“Bullshit.” Grabbing his front, he lifted Phil clean off the ground. “You fucking knew. That was part of the deal. That was how you found me.” 

He'd be damned if he let these rats get away with scamming him. With wasting his time. With not giving him what he needed. Red tinged his vision. 

He slammed Phil into the wall. The crumbling bricks groaned as dust rained down. Phil coughed and scrabbled at Levi’s hands, dangerously close to crushing his windpipe. “I- it’s a mistake.” 

“Yeah? Where's the rest of my payment?” He pulled him back, slamming him again. Waste. Waste of time. Phil’s eyes rolled back. “Pay up. Now. You think you can scam me into doing your dirty work?” 

“No! Of course- of course not!” His voice was nothing more than a guttural wheeze. “I’ll get your payment! Please!” 

“You’re wearing down my stellar patience.” Levi said evenly, then snapped his arm. Phil screamed. “Shut up. Now you’re hurting my ears.” 

Something shifted behind him. He turned to see Phil’s accomplice book it out of there. For a filthy scammer who couldn’t be bothered to do his own work, he was fast. Levi frowned. Ah, it didn’t matter. He still had Phil. 

“Eric!” Phil whispered. Pained tears popped out of his eyes. Pathetic. Levi clasped his hands around his throat and squeezed. His face turned red, then white. 

“Stop! Stop!” Eric screamed. He barrelled around the corner, sprinting towards them. His face was grey with fear. Over his shoulder dangled a limp body. Dead or unconscious, he didn’t know. He couldn’t tell through the sack covering the head. 

“Don’t kill him! Look, take this instead! We're sorry! We're sorry!” Eric screamed. Sweat beaded down his forehead. His entire body shook. “Eh? New girl. New piece, we just got her today. Fresh. No one’s ever touched her. I swear! She’s yours!” 

Eric laid the unconscious girl down on the ground. Levi snarled. “I don’t need-”

He pulled the sack off the girl’s head. 

Levi stopped breathing. 

Her short ginger hair was dirty and matted. Her utterly normal shirt and trousers were creased and streaked with dust. There was a faint scar on her wrist, poking out from under her sleeve; probably cut herself on something sharp _like a loose screw from her gear,_ his mind supplied. Her eyes were closed, so he didn’t see what colour they were. He didn’t need to. 

“Eh? Fair trade? You always did like redheads.” Eric chuckled nervously. 

He said nothing, almost lifeless as he stared at the unconscious woman at his feet. Petra Ral didn’t stare back. 


End file.
